A clean interchange offering a good selection of services across buses, trams and railway, hence…read morewarranting an upgraded rating. While I feel the signage around the station could be improved for destinations, how to get to certain platforms and which lifts are out of order, it still is a pretty decent Interchange which makes arriving into Altrincham a little bit more pleasant. There are two railway platforms, two for Metrolink and of course the bus interchange all in one, currently, the Metrolink only runs from Piccadilly-Altrincham meaning if you're going past Piccadilly or aiming to go towards Bury, you will have to change along the way. It is in an old building too for the railway part, but it is pleasant and sheltered, I do think it's a great shame regarding a slight lack of signage especially for the lifts where you wouldn't know the lifts going to certain platforms were out of order until you get there, luckily this didn't effect me as the Metrolink into the city centre is just as quick as the train. 4*

Perfect for going into Manchester Picc/Oxford Rd and also great for going to the airport. also…read moregreat location being just off the A34 and within walking distance to Gatley village which is rather posh. Ticket machines and ticket office are also quite helpful.

It's an older, large station that is extremely busy but also easy to navigate to get to your…read moretransportation on time. Though it's older, it's clean with several places to grab food or coffee. Signage is really good and makes things easier trying to get through a big crowd to your platform.

Very convenient and effective train station where you can take bullet trains to London from…read moreManchester. Shoppes and what not fill up the area and tickets are very convenient to purchase on the app Trainline. Highly recommended!

Sale Metrolink Station is located inside an old building, the original roofing remains which not…read moreonly looks good but provides good shelter. One of the oldest Metrolink stations on the network which isn't used for anything else, so it is a little bit of history in a way, it was a train station back in 1849 before closing in 1991 to be converted into a Metrolink station. The set-up is two platforms, one going towards Piccadilly for the city centre, the other going towards Altrincham, sometimes on a Manchester City match-day if you're lucky, you might see special trams go from the Etihad to here after the game. The main problem with the set-up for me is how difficult it is to get between platforms, I ended up missing a tram finding out, rather than being able to cross the tracks, you have to go in and out of the station, either up and down the long staircase, or going through the car park of the Altrincham bound platform, going alongside the pavement, and then into a dirty, smelly corridor and lift to go back down to the platform. There was good lighting in the station and it did look surprisingly good for a non-city-centre and non-terminus location, it is also in a good location for shopping in Sale town centre, but they really are missing a trick by not adding signage between the two platforms. 3*

A small station but useful for getting into central Manchester , as not everybody wants to go…read moreVictoria if something is on at the arena, so salford central is few minutes down the road form spinningfields and deansgate road. Its also cheaper than the tram to go to the outskirts of manchester! Be aware it can be a bit busy around 1630 -1800hrs

Me reviewing train stations is starting to become a trend, however now that I spend a heck of a lot…read moreof time in various stations, I feel they deserve credit/criticism like rest of the venues or businesses I visit. Salford central is now in a prime location, not because it moved but because the area around it has developed so much to give you amazing options whether you want to eat, drink or play. It's a matter of minutes on foot from Spinningfields and it's actually not even that far to walk to the Arndale from here! They've spent some money doing it up and parts of it look very nice however some parts still need a face lifts - the platforms being one! There also never seems to be anyone checking tickets when I walk through? Which my queue-skipping 14 year old self would've loved, however now being 24 I don't mind paying for my tickets!

The annoying thing about this station was that I rushed to get the train because it was supposed to…read morebe leaving in a minute but then ended up being delayed for fifteen, which if I knew I would have got out and had a look around the station for a bit. Anyway, this station is on the route through to Liverpool and it seems that some of the Liverpool trains, like the one that I was on, terminate here. It's rather fancy mind you, but then again a lot of stations in England are like that.

Manchester Oxford Road deserves an upgrade, while for many it can become an annoying stop, just two…read moreminutes after Manchester Piccadilly, it does provide good access to Oxford Road, just a couple of minute's away from St Peter's Square, where there are the Central Library and Metrolink services, and is also close to the Universities and student area of the city. The staff do seem friendly, and while the facilities within the station are minimal (there is a tiny Costa with no seating area), it is ample, especially considering there is a large Sainsbury's Local, right outside on Whitworth Street. The hill going up to the station is a little steep, and it does seem to be a common area for homeless people, it could be lit better in the dark for sure. The same could apply for the subway which connects the platforms. 3* - Decent station, it might not compare to Piccadilly and Victoria but it isn't too bad.

A small Northern Railway Station, located just at the top of Church Street, Eccles. Ideal for all…read morethe shops and pubs in Eccles. This is the nearest train station to Hope Hospital, altough it is a good 20 minute walk away, but you can get a bus from the bus station. Morrisons, Eccles Bus Station and Eccles Metrolink stationis a 10 minute walk. There is no disabled access at this station, and both platforms are down flights of stairs. There is a small ticket office which is staffed part time. There are no toilets on the platforms. Both platforms have a small shelter and some seating. Timetables are loacted at the top of the station, with non on the platforms, so check your times before you go down to the platform. There is a small pay and display carpark at the top of the station. The station is poorly lit at night.

That is a pretty funny story Angela has told there, and I must say that I also found the man in the…read morelittle ticket hut a sour faced twit. However, my experience was not sprinkled with a funny occurrence at all, it was just plain miserable. The station is small and out of the way, and consists of just a couple of platforms. Trains are usually on time and go to Manchester Piccadilly in about 16 mins so if you can catch one, the you'll save yourself 45 mins or more on the bus. These trains are at 26 minutes past the hour, and 55 minutes past the hour. So if you're going from Didsbury to town and these times suit, then grin and bear the miserable codger, and get there faster.

Agreed that it is a real pain in the backside that there are no self service machines. You get…read moretreated at Picaddilly as if you'd tried to steal the Crown Jewels if you did not have time to purchase a ticket and the train conductor did not sell you one on board. The gentleman referred to in the ticket office was helpful to me when I was travelling for work a lot and suggested travel passes where it was cheaper. Even at 6.45am he gets a bit annoyed though if you get on without having bought a ticket - even if you've just made it on time after running a mile.

An upgraded rating for Deansgate Station, as while it can't compare to Piccadilly, it is one of my…read morefavourite "smaller stations", the station staff seem friendly and they also have an Amazon locker inside the station which is handy whether you plan to pick up a parcel while travelling, and it is also useful if you're staying at the Hilton across the road and want to pick-up a parcel. With it being connected to the Metrolink, this not only means you can continue your journey but it also adds back-up for if either lift isn't working, meaning if you struggle with steps, there's always a back-up way out, just cross the Metrolink bridge, go down the lift, and follow the station around to the exit. Certainly not a bad little station, it might have fewer facilities compared to Manchester's other stations, but there's just something about Deansgate Station which I like. 4*

Deansgate Station deserves a mention because so many other stations that are complete rubbish have…read morebeen reviewed such as Mauldeth Road and Victoria. Whilst these stations are just boring old train stations, Deansgate Station is a piece of architecture worthy of a viewing along with the Castlefield/Deansgate canal routes and the old ruins nearby. A real piece of Manchester's historical character. As the other review is not about the station at all but about Deansgate the road and area, here's a bit about the station. It was opened as Knott Mill on 20 July 1849 and you can still see the old Knott Mill sign just above the new Deansgate one. The sign isn't as old as all that, because it was a wooden station back then. It was rebuilt to what it is today in the 1890s. It was later called Knott Mill & Deansgate, but now it is sadly plain old Deansgate. In 2006 its annual passenger total was only about thirteen thousand, but now it is well clear of a hundred and twenty thousand. This could be because its so good that its popular, or because the world is suffering from overpopulation, which will eventually kill us all